Studio Sunday - Birthday Weekend Edition

Thankful to everyone who made my birthday special this weekend! You all rock and I love ya! 

You may have noticed that I managed to miss a post yesterday. Sorry about that but I figured I was allowed a break the day after my big celebration. 

Now it is Sunday and I've got a list a mile long of things to do regarding the kids, our house, chores, friends and of course the shop/studio. 

As to what is in my studio today, here's a quick shot: 

In the upper right is Quinn's bedroom door sign. Since taking the picture, I have wrapped it up neatly and it is ready to be purchased in the shop and delivered (hopefully during this last week of school)!  

To the upper left, is a photo for my BFF Lisa. I just need to mount it on it's board and figure out with her the hanging options, and it will be ready to deliver to her -- again -- finally! Thanks for your patience Lisa Schmisa. 

In the center is a soon-to-be wedding sign and you may notice the wedding date! The sign is for the reception at the end of the month but they just got hitched yesterday! Congrats to Mintra, Paul & Paul's Mama Valerie too! 

Since it is a gorgeous day out and I have so much to do, I'm going to leave you for now. But tomorrow is another day. Back at 'cha then. 

Ciao for now, 
Mama Zuzi

PS... Happy 50th Birthday to Johnny Depp! 

Studio Sunday - Plus 5 Things I'm Liking too!

It is Sunday and according to my new schedule, that should mean Studio Sunday. To be honest, given that I've just completed five orders, my studio is only one thing -- a mess. 

With three more signs to do soon along with a magnet order, I will need to spend tomorrow afternoon on a quick clean up. Then it will be time to stock up on a few supplies and get going again. 

With that said, I am wanting to share a few things I'm liking (being Sunday and all). 

1)  Jurassic Park - watching it with the fam. Man that scene when the when the water cups start shaking. OMG. 

2) The SlyFox shop on Etsy for jewelry. A little more than I regularly spend but it sure looks worth it. Just everything looks gorgeous. I know these earrings are basic but that may be why I love them. 

3) This great (and easy) idea for hanging up paper rolls and ribbon: 

Even I could probably manage to put these up all by myself. I found it on Pinterest and on this blog: http://www.armelleblog.com/2011/12/my-studio-closet.html

4) This or something like it for one of the walls in our "family" room. I could make the Family sign with scrabble pieces or freehand, then make sure there are pics of all four of us and either each of our initials or our last. I hate to admit that for a person who makes and sell home decor, I have lots of empty space on my wall. I need to commit to doing something about that and including it on this blog. Now the question is which room to start with... living room, family room, master bedroom, or what? 

5) Repurposing golf tees! It's been ages since I've played golf (and remarkably I did letter in the sport) -- but using them to stop up your toothpaste, to hold your corn cob, or stake a helium balloon in the ground are all brilliant and fun. Thank you Martha Stewart for featuring this idea in the latest issue of REAL SIMPLE magazine! It made my night!

Well now it is time for me to finish watching "Pirates of the Carribean" -- can't get much better than Johnny Depp AND Orlando Bloom in the same movie! 

Ciao for now, 
Mama Zuzi

More thoughts on getting older (& better)

My last post was one about aging and acceptance. I have always struggled to adjust to the big birthday (you know the ones... they end in 0's). 

It started during the beginning of my 29th year. I spent that year telling everyone that I was 30 years old to which they would reply, "you are still 29." It has been my style to start processing a year ahead of time and then by the time it was ACTUALLY my birthday, I was all good and ready to go! 

Turning 50 (or approaching it) has been the hardest of them all by far. Interestingly, for the most part I have tried to ignore it as if it would go away. Of course it has not. It shall arrive in less than 2 weeks. I continue to process this milestone. 

Forcing myself to say it out loud and to type it seems to be helping. Rather than trying to be the cool lady/mom whom everyone thinks is actually younger than she is, I'm trying to focus on just being my own version of cool. Don't let me kid you, at this point in my progression, I'd really LOVE to hear a bunch of "No way! You can't be 50!"'s but if it doesn't happen, I'm trying not to care too much. I still disdain being called "Mam." I know that it is supposed to be a gesture at respect but hint here people, most women in "middle age" aren't fond of it -- not one bit. 

Regarding my last post, I did say that I didn't have a lot of time to research people I actually admire and then listed some celebrities who are turning anywhere from 50 - 60 this year. Most people seemed fine with my list but I did get a little negative feedback when I shared it with a group of my Facebook Friends who are all women in this age range (or getting close). To be honest I a) appreciate the feedback and b) understand where it came from and why. Good points related to women looking up to other women who are "meeting their age with grace, ferocity, and determination." 


If you have women you admire who are over 50, who are they and what about them do you admire? 

Here are a just a few of my own favorites: 

Here's a quiz. Can you name them? Do you know their age? What about them might I admire? 

Feel free to comment on these wonderful women and/or share your own favorites below. What does aging gracefully mean to you? Do you care if a woman colors her hair? I know I don't. Color - don't color. I say that's your choice. I do like Ellen DeGeneres even if she chooses to color her hair. And as to why I included pictures of Daniel Day Lewis and Johnny Depp along with her in my last post I say this: I enjoy looking at them! I may be getting older but I'm not yet dead! 

Ciao for now, 
Mama Zuzi (Sue) 

PS... a few more days to comment and get in on my Birthday Blog Comment Contest! 

Getting older (and better)

I for one am not a big fan of aging, but truly there is no choice. 

And if you are reading this and thinking how strange this all sounds because you are in your teens or twenties or even maybe your thirties, trust me when I say that one day (not as far off as it currently seems) you will wake up and feel like your life is a Talking Heads song! 

As part of the acceptance process, it is helping me to know my many friends from college in particular but High School as well who are right there with me within a year or two. 

I am reading a book on my Kindle reader called "50 Ways to Enjoy Turning Fifty" and part of the acceptance piece is finding people in their 50's who you admire. 

I don't have enough time today to do a lot of research but I have found a bunch of cool famous folk who range from 50-60 to make me feel better about where I'm at. If these cool people can be this age, well then I can manage it too. 

59: Oprah Winfrey                   & John Malkovich
58: Reba McIntire                     & Annie Lennox 
57: Whoopi Goldberg                & Johnny Rotten
56: Daniel Day-Lewis & Chris Isaak
55: Ellen DeGeneres & Sheila E. 
54: Prince (shares my birthday) & Joan Jett 
53: Valerie Bertinelli & Bono 
52: Colin Firth (love) & John Taylor (love)! 
51: John Bon Jovi & John Corbett (need I say more) 
50: Jodie Foster & Jon Stewart 
49: John Stamos & Johnny Depp 

Not bad company at all. Not at all. Now a quick reminder that only 3 people have actually participated in my birthday blog contest and I find that well -- unacceptable. I love my friends and the readers of this blog and I would like to see you post even just one time in honor of my reaching this milestone. You have just 15 days to GET 'ER DONE! 

As a reminder, the rules (as easy as they are) can be found here: http://mamapicturethis.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-birthday-comment-contest.html

Go now. Comment often. Make my day and my year ;-) 

Ciao for now, 
Mama Zuzi (Sue)